1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to medical imaging apparatuses and methods of operating the same, and more particularly, to medical imaging apparatuses and methods of operating the same which are capable of preventing excessive X-ray irradiation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medical imaging apparatuses are used to acquire medical images showing an internal structure of an object. The medical imaging apparatuses are non-invasive examination devices that capture and process images of details of structures, tissue, fluid flow, etc., inside a body, and then provide the images to a user. A user, e.g., a medical practitioner, may use medical images output from the medical imaging apparatuses to diagnose a patient's condition and diseases.
A representative example of such medical imaging apparatuses is an X-ray apparatus. X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths of between 0.01 angstroms (Å) and 100 angstroms, and may be widely used in medical apparatuses for imaging the inside of a living body or in non-destructive testing equipment for industrial use due to their ability to penetrate objects.
An X-ray apparatus may acquire X-ray images of an object by transmitting X-rays emitted from an X-ray source through an object and detecting a difference in intensities of the transmitted X-rays via an X-ray detector. The X-ray images may be used to examine an internal structure of an object and to diagnose the object with a disease. The X-ray apparatus facilitates easy observation of an internal structure of an object by using a principle in which a penetrating power of an X-ray varies based on the density of the object and atomic numbers of atoms constituting the object. As a wavelength of an X-ray decreases, the penetrating power of the X-ray increases and the X-ray images become brighter.